Key Points
- CFO Lawrence Hilsheimer bought 6,705 shares on Feb. 4 at $91.18 (~$611,362), bringing his total stake to 207,416 shares; filings show he purchased 18,322 shares across Feb. 3–4 (~$1.63M) overall, signaling insider confidence.
- Net insider selling outweighed buys: the CFO sold 22,778 shares and other executives (EVP and SVP) also sold sizable amounts, producing larger insider proceeds than purchases and a potentially negative signal for the stock.
- Recent results and analyst stance: Greif missed the recent quarter with $0.48 EPS vs. $0.69 consensus and revenue down 2.2%, pays a 3.0% dividend (82.96% payout ratio), and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with a $74.50 target.
Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan purchased 200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $89.22 per share, with a total value of $17,844.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 4,919 shares in the company, valued at $438,873.18. The trade was a 4.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.
Bala Sathyanarayanan also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, February 5th, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares of Greif stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $811,766.20.
- On Tuesday, February 3rd, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,499 shares of Greif stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.29, for a total value of $180,652.71.
- On Tuesday, February 3rd, Bala Sathyanarayanan bought 100 shares of Greif stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of $87.69 per share, with a total value of $8,769.00.
- On Wednesday, December 10th, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of Greif stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total transaction of $466,340.00.
Greif Stock Up 1.4%
Shares of GEF traded up $1.07 on Friday, reaching $75.03. The stock had a trading volume of 23,047 shares, compared to its average volume of 209,254. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.23. Greif, Inc. has a 12-month low of $48.23 and a 12-month high of $75.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $64.71.
Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.21). Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The business had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Greif, Inc. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.
Greif Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. Greif's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.96%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Greif from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Greif from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on Greif in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $74.50.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on GEF
Institutional Trading of Greif
Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Greif by 36.2% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Greif during the 4th quarter worth about $84,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Greif during the second quarter worth about $214,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC purchased a new stake in Greif during the 2nd quarter worth about $216,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Greif in the second quarter valued at $227,000. 45.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Greif
Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CFO Lawrence Hilsheimer made sizable purchases (total ~18,322 shares across Feb. 3–4, ~\$1.63M), which signals confidence from the company’s finance chief and can be seen as a bullish indicator for longer-term insiders. CFO Form 4 (purchases)
- Positive Sentiment: EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan made small purchases (100 and 200 shares on Feb. 3–4), a modest insider buy that also supports insider alignment with shareholders. EVP Form 4 (purchases)
- Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders executed both buys and sales on nearby dates at different prices; these paired moves can reflect option exercises, tax planning or rebalancing rather than a pure operating-signal, so interpret them cautiously. CFO combined Form 4 EVP combined Form 4
- Negative Sentiment: Net insider selling dominates: CFO sold 22,778 shares (~\$1.64M), EVP Bala sold ~13,337 shares (~\$992k), and SVP Kimberly Kellermann sold 5,265 shares (~\$379k). The aggregate insider proceeds exceed buys, a near-term negative sign that likely pressured the stock. CFO sale Form 4 EVP sale Form 4 SVP Form 4
Greif Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Greif, Inc is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, with a history dating back to its founding in 1877. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company has evolved from a regional barrel and drum manufacturer into a diversified packaging provider serving a wide range of end markets. Greif's longstanding heritage in container solutions has positioned it as a trusted partner for customers seeking reliable, high-quality packaging options.
The company's core business revolves around the design, manufacture and sale of industrial packaging products, including steel, plastic and fiber drums; intermediate bulk containers (IBCs); safety closures; rigid, flexible and reconditioned packaging; containerboard and protective packaging.
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